The Haunting Prophecy The life of Cricketpaw
by Cricketwing
Summary: Three ordinary apprentices of SkyClan, Nightpaw, Goldenpaw and Cricketpaw, begin to train to become warriors.  But one of the apprentices has a strange prophecy that continues to haunt Raggedstar as he begins to doubt ever letting this cat into his clan..
1. Allegiances

S K Y C L A N

**Leader** Ruggedstar- Big golden tom with darker stripes

**Deputy **Rainfur- Silver-gray tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Cricketpaw

**Medicine Cat **Quickfoot- Small tabby tom

**Warriors **

Duskpelt- Longhaired jet black tom with green only one eye

Creamspots- She-cat with white creamy spots

Apprentice, Goldenpaw

Whitefoot- Small calico she-cat

Stoneclaw- Large pale gray tabby tom

Shadedcloud- Dark gray she-cat with a black nose and exceptionally good hearing

Apprentice, Nightpaw

Jaggedclaw- Powerful white tom with incredibly sharp claws

Apprentice, Redpaw

Emberheart- Handsome dark ginger tabby tom

Badgerpelt- Black tom with a white belly

Apprentice, Shallowpaw

Littleflower- Small brown tabby she-cat

**Apprentices**

Nightpaw- Jet black she-cat with amber eyes

Cricketpaw- Dark tortoiseshell she-cat with pretty green eyes

Goldenpaw- Reddish gold tom with a speckled nose

Redpaw- Brown red tom with a darker stripe down his back

Shallowpaw- Blue roan she-cat with white speck and hazel eyes

**Queens**

Thrushsong- Longhaired gray she-cat

Runningstream- White she-cat with gray flecks

Smallriver- Dark gray queen with dark brown eyes and one creamy white paw

**Kits**

Flamekit- Dark ginger tabby tom with a long tail

Stormkit- Large black longhaired tom

Snowykit- White she-cat with a long claws and a black spot on her back

Mousekit- Dark gray tom with green eyes

Foxkit- Ginger she-cat with a white tipped tail

**Elders**

Smokefur- Gray tabby tom

Brightpelt- Yellow tabby she-cat with brown specked ears

Woodpelt- Small dark brown tabby tom with one eye

E A R T H C L A N

**Leader **Ceaderstar- Longhaired pale brown tabby she-cat

**Deputy **Leafbrook- Tabby she-cat with one white paw and green eyes

**Medicine Cat **Dewflower- Pretty ginger tabby she-cat, blind in one eye

Apprentice, Silverpaw

**Warriors**

Cinderstorm- Huge longhaired black tom

Rainflower- Silver-gray she-cat with bright blue eyes

**Elders**

Stumblefoot- Very pale ginger tabby tom

Swiftwind- Quick calico she-cat with amber eyes

F I R E C L A N

**Leader **Swallowstar- Gray she-cat with darker stripes

**Deputy **Ashfeather- Large gray-black she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice, Darkpaw

**Medicine Cat** Featherfur- Small brown tabby she-cat

**Warriors**

Lastwhisker- Very small silver tabby she-cat

Apprentices, Deathpaw

Twistedtail- Large ginger tabby tom with a bent tail

Friskywhisker- Large gray she-cat with green eyes

Tumblestep- Dark brown tom with large paws

Apprentice, Patchpaw

**Queens**

Finchtail- Small golden tabby she-cat

Poppyflower- Black she-cat

**Elders**

Browntail- White she-cat with brown tabby spots

Leopardheart- Very large golden spotted tom

F R O S T C L A N

**Leader **Lionstar- Longhaired ginger tabby tom

**Deputy **Frozenpool- Blue-gray tom with bright blue eyes

**Medicine **Cat Cinderfoot- Longhaired dark gray she-cat

Apprentice, Tawnypaw


	2. New Apprentices

**Chapter One**

Ruggedstar walked out of his den and leaped onto the Willow branch. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather

beneath the Willow for a clan meeting," he yowled. Three kits emerged from the nursery, their fur sleek from grooming. Behind them

a white calico she-cat followed, her own pelt cleaned and sleek. They seated themselves beneath the tree branch Ruggedstar was

perched on. Once the clan had gathered, Ruggedstar began to speak. "Today three of our kits have reached their sixth moon." He

beckoned to the first kit, a tom the color of a sunset. "From this day on, until this cat earns his warrior name, he shall be called

Goldenpaw." Ruggedstar paused as a creamy white she-cat stepped forward. "Creamspots, you are ready to take on a third

apprentice since Littleflower became a warrior. You shall mentor Goldenpaw." The young tom quivered with excitement as he

touched noses with his new mentor. Ruggedstar called the second kit forward with a flick of his tail. "From this day on, until she has

earned her warrior name, this kit will be known as Nightpaw. Shaddedcloud, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You

had an excellent mentor in Duskpelt, and I hope you pass on all the skills you learned from him." The dark warrior stepped forward

and touched noses with the new apprentice, and walked her to the edge of the crowd. Ruggedstar looked down on the last kit. The

tortoiseshell didn't look anything like the two other apprentices, and Ruggedstar stiffened as she turned and focused her green eyes

on him. Should he ever have let her into the clan? He shook the thought away. This kit was barely a quarter moon old when

Whitefoot took her in. There was no way she could harm the clan. Ruggedstar beckoned her with his tail. "From this day on, until

she earns her warrior name, this cat will be known as Cricketpaw. Rainfur, you are a trustworthy and loyal deputy. I hope you pass

on all your wisdom to Cricketpaw." Satisfied, Raggedstar jumped down off the Willow. He knew he could trust Rainfur in training

Cricketpaw to be completely loyal to SkyClan. But as he saw the apprentice walking calmly to the apprentices den, he could still

feel the prickle of dread he felt when he first laid eyes on the kit.


	3. Getting ready to go

Cricketpaw stalked through the undergrowth. She parted her jaws, scenting a mouse nearby. Her mouth watered as she stepped

quietly through the bushes. A fat mouse sat nibbling on a nut a few tail-lengths in front of her. She crouched down, ready to pounce

when she heard someone calling her name. "Cricketpaw! Wake up!"

Cricketpaw blinked open her eyes. She lay in the apprentices den next to her brother and sister, who were also waking up. Rainfur

stood over her, her paw raised, ready to prod her again if she didn't wake up. "Now that you're awake, we can get ready to go. If

you're hungry, you can grab something to eat before you go, but you better hurry. I'll meet you near the Entrance Tunnel." Rainfur

meowed and turned and walked out of the apprentices den. Cricketpaw stood and stretched, then calmly walked into the clearing. Her

siblings bounced out of the den behind her, clearly excited to start their first day of training. Cricketpaw could barely suppress her

excitement, but she refused to show it. What would her mentor, let alone clan_ deputy_, think if she bounced around the clearing like a

kit? She made her way across the clearing to the fresh kill pile. Grabbing a vole, she settled herself beneath the Willow, escaping from

the early morning green-leaf heat. Quickly she finished off the vole and headed toward the Entrance Tunnel, where Rainfur,

Shadedcloud and Creamspots were waiting. Rainfur stood up when she saw Cricketpaw. "Ready to go," she asked. Cricketpaw

nodded, and Rainfur lead the way through the tunnel of brambles.


	4. First day of Training

The sun was just above the horizon when Rainfur lead Cricketpaw out of the SkyClan camp. When she emerged from the Entrance

Tunnel, Cricketpaw found herself on a narrow strip of grass between the thorn barrier and a shallow marsh. The camp was located on

one of the small islands in the marsh, with a thick thorn barrier to protect it and a tree-bride that connected the camp to the forest. It

was also in the least shaded part of SkyClan territory, so the clan could live safely under the protecting watch of StarClan, the heavenly

tribe of warriors. Rainfur beckoned to Cricketpaw with her tail and leaped onto the fallen tree. "Today I will show you the territory,"

she mewed. "We will not travel with your siblings, but you may train with them some other time."

Cricketpaw felt a little crestfallen when she heard she would not spend her first day training with her brother and sister. She had always

dreamed of beginning her warrior training alongside Nightpaw and Goldenpaw, but she refused to let it ruin her first day as an

apprentice. She jumped onto the fallen tree, grasping the slick bark with her long claws. Slowly she made her way across, being

careful not to slip. Imagine what a fool she would look like if she fell into the marsh on her very first day! Rainfur had waited for her on

the other side of the tree, sitting with her tail curled tightly around her paws. Her blue eyes sparkled as Cricketpaw stumbled off the

end of the tree, catching her paw in the tangle of roots. "Don't worry, it gets easier every time you cross it," she mewed with a hint of

amusement. "We'll head toward the thunderpath first, and from there we'll head to the Overhang and the Wide Oak. Then I'll show

you the training place, but we won't stay there long. Jaggedclaw will probably be there with Redpaw, and we don't want to get in the

way. After that we'll come back to camp where you can get some rest." Rainfur stood and took off through the pine trees.

Cricketpaw got up from where she was sitting and quickly followed. She had to dig her claws into the ground in order to keep up,

spraying pine needles into the air. Rainfur lead the way around thick clumps of undergrowth, and Cricketpaw had to do all she could

to keep up with the deputy. Finally Rainfur slowed to a stop near a clump of brambles.

"What do you smell, Cricketpaw?" She asked. Cricketpaw parted her jaws to sniff the air. A horrible smell hit the roof of her mouth,

enlaced with scent of other cats she had never smelled before. The cat scent was crisp and stunk of old leaves. She wrinkled her nose

in disgust.

"I smell something awful, along with the scent of cat," Cricketpaw meowed. Rainfur nodded with approval.

"That's the thunderpath you smell, and beyond it is FrostClan hunting grounds. Keep a look out for enemy cats here, FrostClan isn't

very friendly towards SkyClan, let alone any clan." Rainfur crept through the bramble and signaled Cricketpaw to follow. She led her

onto a strip of grass, stinking of the thunderpath. In front of them lay a hard, black surface, cutting its way through the forest like a

dark snake. Cricketpaw pricked her ears as she heard rumbling in the distance. Looking towards Rainfur for an answer, all her

mentor did was signal her to crouch down. Obeying, Cricketpaw pressed her belly into the grass, flattening her ears. The rumbling

grew louder, and it seemed to fill the air around Cricketpaw as a shape sped by, ruffling her fur. Cricketpaw could barely keep herself

from jumping away from the thunderpath. "What _was _that?" She hissed, her voice edged with fear.

"That was a monster," Rainfur explained, sitting back up. "Twolegs always ride in their bellies. But don't worry, they never leave the

thunderpath. Just make sure you look both ways before you cross to make sure that no monsters are coming. They never stop for

cats." Rainfur turned and headed back through into the brambles. Cricketpaw quickly followed, eager to get away from the

thunderpath. In the distance she could hear another rumbling sound, but it was nothing like the thunderpath. It sounded natural, and it

never stopped roaring like the monsters on the thunderpath as they faded into the distance. Rainfur seemed to sense her confusion.

"We are nearing the waterfall," she explained. Cricketpaw nodded. She had heard about the waterfall in the nursery tales her mother,

Whitefoot, used to tell her. Some cats had even fallen down it to their death, but Cricketpaw had never seen the endless sheet of falling

water. The roaring grew louder as Rainfur and Cricketpaw grew nearer, and soon the trees parted to reveal the edge of the Overhang,

and the waterfall, tumbling down endlessly into the river. Cricketpaw crouched down and peered over the edge at the river. The

Overhang was easy to climb, with jumbles of rocks and edges to stand on. She could see the tops of the trees below, some even

within paw reach. Cricketpaw turned eagerly to her mentor. "Will we get to climb down it?" She asked.

Rainfur smiled. "If we want to reach the wide oak, we have to," she explained. "But there's and easier way to get down. We don't

want to take any risks." She flicked her tail to tell Cricketpaw to follow and lead the way through the trees. Cricketpaw was a bit

disappointed that she wouldn't be able to climb down the Overhang, but she didn't object. Standing up, she followed Rainfur, staying

in sight of the stream. Her mentor stopped and parted her jaws to breath in the air. "There is a twoleg path here," she meowed. "What

do you smell?"

Cricketpaw scented the air. She picked up the stale smell of twolegs, and the smell of dog. "I smell twolegs and a dog," she mewed.

"But it's stale, so it's safe to cross."

"Good, Cricketpaw," Rainfur praised her. "Let's go, we better hurry if we want to be back in camp by sunset." She led Cricketpaw

across the path, the sharp stones cutting into her paws. On the other side, Rainfur stopped again. "We cross the stream here," she

explained. "Its not too deep, and the crossing-rocks are too far up the stream for us to reach them in time. You have to get used to the

water anyway." She leaped into the water, and kicked her powerful hind legs until she was across. Cricketpaw stepped one paw into

the water. It bubbled around her leg, but it wasn't powerful enough to sweep her away. Quickly she flung herself into the water, and

kicked off the shore. Her heart fluttered in panic as the stream began to carry her away, but soon her paws touched the other side of

the shore. Pulling herself out of the water, she shook as much of the wetness off as she could. Rainfur waited nearby. "You'll get used

to it," she reassured her. "It's not easy the first time." Once again, she led the way off into the forest. Cricketpaw followed her until

they reached a steep hill. It wasn't as steep as the other part of the Overhang, and Cricketpaw guessed it would get gentler if they had

kept traveling. Rainfur bounded down the hill, and Cricketpaw followed. "We're almost at the Wide Oak," Rainfur said. "From there

we will go to the training hollow." She headed into the undergrowth, and soon she and Cricketpaw reached the massive oak. The wide

branches that gave the Wide Oak it its name reached out over the river, which tumbled slowly over the stones. "This is the edge of

SkyClan territory," Rainfur meowed. "Across the river here is FireClan, and next to them is EarthClan. Near hear is Great Rocks,

where the Gatherings are held every moon. I won't show you that today, but you will see it when you go to the gathering. Come, we

must head to the training hollow." Cricketpaw followed Rainfur back over the Overhang and into the pines until they reached a grassy

dip in the ground. Heather and moss coved the ground, along with clumps of grass. _This is the perfect training area_, Cricketpaw

thought. _The heather and moss will cushion any fall and pounce_. In the center of the clearing, Redpaw and Jaggedclaw were

working on fighting moves. Redpaw nodded to her when he noticed Cricketpaw at the edge of the clearing. Jaggedclaw seized his

moment and barreled into his apprentice. "Always stay alert!" He advised. Rainfur chuckled. "Redpaw is a good fighter, but he's easily

distracted," she told Cricketpaw. "Now come, we must get back to camp."


End file.
